This invention relates generally to firefighting equipment and, more particularly, to a hose manipulator with which large and heavy water hoses may be moved and manipulated without undue energy being expended by a firefighter.
Fire personnel are daily faced with dangerous circumstances related to fighting fires. Working amidst unpredictable and extreme conditions, firefighters go to battle with as much skilled manpower, equipment, and tools as are necessary to safely extinguish a fire. Unfortunately, over one hundred firefighters lose their lives every year, sometimes as a result of fatigue. Battling fires while wearing heavy safety gear sometimes results in firefighters becoming fatigued and, as a result, being unable to quickly exit a dangerous situation.
Various devices have been proposed in the art for handling heavy objects and, more particularly, for manipulating heavy fire hoses. Although assembly effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices and proposals are directed primarily to aiding a firefighter in holding a fire hose in use rather than the movement of heavy hoses from one location to another.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a hose manipulator that enables an individual firefighter to move a heavy fire hose from one location to another or merely to straighten it so as to allow full water flow. Further, it would be desirable to have a hose manipulator that is lightweight, compact, and that enables a firefighter to hook a hose quickly and efficiently. In addition, it would be desirable to have a hose manipulator that minimizes bending or stooping by a firefighter when removing restrictions from a hose.